The Turnbull government is facing a war with the majority of the Senate crossbench after it unveiled its plans for voting reforms that could wipe out the minor parties and independents by making it much more difficult to engineer preferences deals and game the system to get elected.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the changes would ensure that Australian voters would determine where their Senate votes go, rather than having those preferences allocated by complicated back room deals.

The current system had been "taken advantage of" he said, highlighting Victorian crossbencher Ricky Muir, who was elected with only 0.5 per cent of the vote.

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the proposed changes at a press conference on Monday.

Photo: Andrew Meares

"So the system has been gamed and it is simply not transparent. I mean, we believe fervently, passionately, in a transparent democracy," Mr Turnbull said.

He said the government "didn't have a view" on whether the changes would advantage the Coalition, at least in the short term, which some analysts have suggested is likely, and that people would be better off because "their wish will be clearly translated into a parliamentary outcome".

"This strengthens it because it gives the power, the choice, back into the hands of voters. Clearly and accountably."

The government hopes to have the laws passed, after a short inquiry, before Parliament rises on March 17.

The Turnbull government has been negotiating with the Greens on the proposals.

Photo: Dallas Kilponen

The six proposals approved by the party room include:

Optional preferential voting "above the line" on the Senate ballot paper which will allow up to six boxes to be numbered, rather than just one

A change that will mean a ballot is still valid where the voter has numbered one or fewer than six boxes above the line

An increase in the number of allowable mistakes from three to five when a person casts their vote below the line, as long as 90 per cent of the ballot is correctly filled in

The abolition of group and individual voting tickets

Restrictions on the unique registered officers for a particular party

Logos on ballot papers to reduce confusion about parties with similar names

Following the announcement, libertarian Senator David Leyonhjelm accused the government of doing a "dirty little deal" with the Greens and Senator Xenophon, who also supports the deal, and suggested he would be inclined to vote against all other government legislation.

Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party senator Ricky Muir, who was elected with only 0.5 per cent of the vote, was singled out by Mr Turnbull when explaining the need for the changes.

Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Family First senator Bob Day said he was "sickened" by the move, which he described as a "death warrant" for the minor parties.

Independent Senator John Madigan called the government's move political trickery of the highest order that would "boost their stranglehold on the throat of democracy".

Senator Jacqui Lambie said she would not boycott government legislation over this issue, as she was already boycotting government legislation over cuts to pap smear tests, and that she wanted people to have to number ballots one to six.

The Minor Parties Alliance, led by so-called "preference whisperer" Glenn Druery accused the major parties of gaming the system. William Bourke of the Sustainable Australia Party said he would be asking members of the Alliance to withdraw co-operation from the Coalition, Greens and Xenophon parties, including preference swaps.

If a double dissolution was held without the changes being put in place, the number of crossbench senators would likely increase but if, as expected, the changes are passed it will likely see the number of crossbenchers elected to the Senate reduced over time.

The Abbott and Turnbull governments have struggled to pass legislation through the upper house in the face of opposition from the Greens, Labor and the eight Senate crossbenchers.

Greens leader Richard di Natale said the Greens would back the changes and that it was "nonsense" to suggest one side of politics would be advantaged over others.

"You know the system is broken when someone polls 0.5 per cent at an election and returns one candidate. And that another person polls 25 per cent of the vote and returns one candidate. That's the system we have right now. It's been gamed by these backroom preference dealers. And that's why we believe that reform is critical," he said.

Labor is split internally over the issue, with leader Bill Shorten declining to outline his party's position on Monday.